Slouch
by Jim Earle
It still feels good!’
Opinion
It s not just women
Texas A&M University and its Corps of Cadets have
received a large dose of bad press over the last two weeks.
The recent developments have served to start a new wave
of “my, how terrible those Corps Turds are” articles in
outside media.
And, for anybody reading those articles, those Corps
Turds are indeed terrible.
One focus of the publicity is correct: Women are and have
been unjustly excluded from various Corps organizations.
The details of how women cadets have been unduly haras
sed are another matter.
But nobody save Ags or old Ags can appreciate the signifi
cance, or insignificance, of A&M’s traditional types of
harassment, including the activities of both Corps members
and civilian students.
Who could ;argue with the unrighteousness of female
Corps urembers being soap-bombed, or having animal car
casses thrown through their windows?
But how do you explain that things like that had been
going on long before women even dreamed of joining the
Corps?
Isn’t it equally terrible that male Corps members flood
each other out regularly? That several times in a semester
dormitory hallways reek with the odor of 55 gallons of pig
manure? That many Aggies have spent many an afternoon
spreadeagled beneath a deluge of water from a shower
window? That cadets often express their affection for their
superiors by leaving dead animals in locked closets, or in air
conditioner vents?
Those who’ve been around awhile realize that, although
certainly women in the Corps have received an undue
amount of harassment, that harassment is no different in
form than that received by unpopular male cadets.
Unfortunately for the Corps, a judge is not likely to
perceive the distinction between harassment and discrimi
nation.
the small society
by Brickman
The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
LETTERS POLICY
letters to the editor should not exceed 3(H) words and are
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer The
editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be
signed, show the address of the icritcr and list a telephone
number for verification.
Address correspondence to letters to the Editor. The
Battalion. Room 216. Reed McDonald Building. College
Station. Texas 77643.
Represented nationally by National Educational Adver
tising Services. Inc.. New York City, Chicago and I^os
Angeles.
The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from
September through May except during exam and holiday
Periods and the summer, when it is published on Tuesda>
hrough Thursdas.
Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per
chool year; $35. (X) per full year. Advertising rates furnished
eqi
st. Addr
The Battali<
Me !>>nald Building. College Station. Texas
United Press International is entitled exchi
use for reproduction of all news dispatches c
Rights of reproduction of all other matter hen
Second-Class postage paid at College Station
216.
77843
siveb to the
edited to it
in reserved
TX 77843
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Liz Newlin
Managing Editor Andy Williams
Asst. Managing Editor Dillard Stone
News Editors Karen Cornelison
and Michelle Burrowes
Sports Editor Sean Petty
City Editor Roy Bragg
Campus Editor Keith Taylor
Focus Editor Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Meril Edwards, Nancy
Andersen, Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver,
’ Mark Patterson, Carolyn Blosser, Kurt
Allen, Debbie Nelson, Rhonda Watters
Photo Editor Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
Photographers Lynn Blanco, Sam
Stroder, Ken Herrera
Cartoonist Doug Graham
Opinion* expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
University administration or the Board of
Regents. 'The Battalion is a non-profit, self-
supporting enterprise operated by students
as a university and community newspaper.
Editorial policy is determined by the editor.
Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
WASHINGTON
By STEVE GERSTEL
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Every afternoon of
late, the chaffeur-driven black Cadillac
wheels Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
from the State Department to Capitol Hill.
The mission is important: To brief Sen
ate and House leaders and the Capitol’s
foreign affairs experts on the situation in
Iran.
After nearly three years of of almost total
non-cooperation between the White
House and Congress, these two branches
of the government have finally adopted a
temporary truce.
But it took a situation as desperate as the
holding of 50 American hostages in Iran to
bring it about.
Even then, the scenario developed
slowly.
During the first several days after the
hostages were seized, the White House did
not share its counsel with Congress. There
was some briefing, but nothing that would
be considered a give-and-take.
After some bitter complaining by con
gressional leaders, the decision was
reached to bring them actively into the
crisis situation.
As a result, Vance has made the pilgrim
age to Capitol Hill daily and it has become
so much part of hi routine that it is now
listed on his schedule of public activities.
The first stop is the “hideway” office of
House Speaker Thomas O’Neill on the
second floor of the Capitol. The time usual
ly is around 4 p.m.
Gathered in OV'NeiH’s office are House
Democratic Leader Jim Wright of Texas
and House Republican Leader John
Rhodes of Arizona, their top deputies and
the chairman and ranking Republican on
the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Vance briefs the House leaders about
developments in the past 24 hours, takes
questions, even accepts suggestions.
From O’Neill’s lair, Vance moves to the
office of Senate Democratic Leader Robert
Byrd.
Senate Republican leader Howard Baker
has been absent most ot the time -— off
campaigning for the Republican presiden
tial nomination.
But his deputy, Ted Stevens of Alaska,
has attended faithfully and presumably
keeps Baker informed.
Cor
This i
producinf
sources oi
uidleine
Many i
:ause fool
jasketbal
or or on!
entire ath
should be
ilculatioi
But un
ines, all f
nther sex
inds incl
fees, dor
inds.
Under I
versify ha
|ntercolle
imount o
for the m
[he per ca
ian wool
would
il.OOO f
women's
The U
taken the
iut autho
fegulatioi
irogram
inds.
In coir
lideline
red Dav
itence ol
jeopard
latory sc
Additic
il.l mill
iring the
jth the
'ere ado
“The in
require
ie the de
iole reve
ult that
ent of a
,en and
Georgi
ion of an
ait rever
ain fund:
;he curre
Reman
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Chairman Frank Church, D-Idaho, and a
senior Republican member Jacob Javits,
R-N.Y., are : also invited.
Very little, visible or concrete has
emerged from the- meetings:.
An exception was the unaninYOtis passage
in the Senate and House of a resolution
calling for release, of the hostages, the unity
of Americans in de-
emanding the freeing of the 50 persons and
a strong suggestion that the Security Coun
cil of the United Nations do all that is
necessary to end the crisis.
The resolution was only a non-binding
expression of congressional sentiment.
But, for those in Iran willing to listen,
the message was clear: Congress and the
president — for a change — are on the
same wave length.
The meetings may also have contributed
to the lack of sniping at the way that Presi
dent Carter is handling the Iran crisis.
Members of Congress — from leaders to
the lowliest freshmen — have a
to hit hack when they feel leftw
The investment of time by Vi
the midst of the most severe crisis!
the administration — could pay
vidends for Carter.
Whatever he elects to do in
Iran will go better if Carter has the
of Congress. Those daily trips l»
from the area known as Foggy |
across town to the Capitol may ass
ter of that support.
After 20 years, 'traitor’ calls Castro opportunist
Effort
slow infl
several
stituted
eral gov
Arthur 1
ist with
search <
versity.
Huber Matos was a major in Fidel Cas
tro’s guerrilla army, a hero of the Cuban
revolution and briefly governor of Cama-
guey Province until Castro denounced him
as a “traitor” in 1959.
During 20 long years of abominable im
prisonment, Matos vowed that “if I ever
got out alive I would tell my story.
Matos did get out alive last month,
thanks to Amnesty International and others
who fought for his release. Now he is telling
his story — not so much of his barbaric
treatment in prison, where is was kept in
communicado and often naked in a con
crete box, but of how the Cuban revolution
was betrayed by Fidel Castro.
What earned Matos the wrath of his for
mer friend and intimate was his daring to
question the direction the revolution be
gan taking following the overthrow of
Fulgeneio Batista.
“I believe,” says Matos, “Fidel saw two
possibilities for the future. One was a
democratic revolution, “in which he would
not be the man to govern Cuba for the rest
of his life.” The other was communism,
which was promoted by Che Gucvera and
Castro’s brother Raul.
“All the changes, all the reforms could
have been made democratically,” says
Matos, “but he (Castro) would have had to
have taken the chance that somebody else
could have taken over the country, and this
clashed with the personal interest:J
Fidel Castro.
“The
thediffe
ship gr
primary
serve is
credit c<
the legi
Far from being the dedicated!
\st revolutionary who fooled hisoM
ates, the Cuban people and ej
mighty United States, Castroisuw
by Matos as an unprincipled opp«
who would betray anything and a
remain “El Hombre.”
Sh
Scripps-Howard Newspaper*
Letters
Another view on the holiday:
Classes paid for, should be held
t
CAR!
Robert 1
innocent
wife whe
years.
A jury
Jheart of
i nonite
charges
straint a
Editor:
What do you think the effect would he of
telling the members of a European tour
that one of the days of their seven-day tour
was to be a holiday and that they were free
to stay in their rooms for the entire day?
More than likely, it would be a response of
anger and a demand for a refund for ser
vices paid for but not received. A reason
able request.
By analogy, what would you expect the
response of students to be upon learning
that a day of classes (periods of instruction
considered valuable enough to be ex
changed for money) was to be canceled?
Anger and a demand for a refund for ser
vices paid for and not received, right?
Wrong. What’s the difference? Maybe it’s
that tourists really go to Europe to get what
they paid for?
— R. Jones
some people connected with the band felt
that organization was an end in itself, and
that scholarship was to march behind the
band. Another newspaper article equated
the band to a live dinosaur and brought the
Endangered Species Act into the picture.
TAMU (my collar brass read C rather
than U, but things do change), on the
undergraduate level is to provide an acade
mic education for the students and to in
sure it was absorbed by those awarded the
bachelor’s degree. A part of university life
is the students opportunity to participate in
extracurricular activities. These activities
include all student activities and student
organizations officially connected to the
university.
Honest encouragement is due all stu
dents to participate in areas where their
interests lie. To those who give the partel-
lar reflex of females in varsity football, I
remind you of the swiftness of change vis-a-
vis head coaches.
Coaches can he progressive and comfort
able, it can be forced and resented, but it
will be. In one case change can be a com
plement to A&M. In the other it will be a
detriment. Ask any dinosaur.
— Dr. Edwin E. Wilkinson Jr.
A.E. 1965
The Spirit moves
Editor:
Man, what a weekend! Bonfire Friday
night, parties, seats on the 50-yard line for
the game and more parties — but mainly
the strong desire to beat the belli?
Best laid plans, Ags, but it just (M
pen that way. Thank God for the"#
coverage of Bonfire by KAMU-T
their presentations of That Ceil#
ing” and “We’ve Never Been Lick
least I felt a part of the activities.
On Saturday afternoon when $
were in Kyle Field standing as the 1
Man, my only consolation was in
that position and location are no'
thing, because there wasn’t
Twelfth Man spirit among you
ated from this Ag who had been lyin'
his back in the hospital for fourk
The stains on my pillow case wen'
hard to explain but after my many
the nurses began to understand son
about Aggie Spirit.
— Jim Metcalf, ”5
imum {
prison.
Bear
Gail, 41
after sin
fused tc
for seve
He 1
assault £
wife, sa
Reform:
been a
A&M the dinosaur
THOTZ
By Doug Gral
Editor:
I am pleased that my undergraduate
alma mater continues to grow in size and
prestige; however, some areas of A&M
seem to be among the most progressive of
the nineteenth century.
A metropolitan newspaper article indi
cated that the ACLU and an A&M coed are
seeking to open the band. The Ross Volun
teers, the Fish Drill Team and the Parsons
Mounted Cavalry to women. Of these four
organizations, one I was a member of and
one I am not familiar with.
In addition, the article indicated that
DOESW'T BDUFlftE
BRING- BAOC hEUlORieS
FOR YOU,
Oust the word
’Bom fire".... rv
COWJURES IMAGES OP
AXES...
AND GRADES SHOT
well, sie.
-fit/
(